Building a Strong Foundation

     No doubt we live in very trying times!   There are many barriers we must overcome if our communities and society as a whole are once again going to thrive and succeed. Successful communities are composed of people who have the understanding and commitment to help build the well-being of the entire community.   What better way to start than creating a solid support foundation for All of our children so they will ALL be healthy, safe and ready for school success-and ultimately life success?  After all, our children are the foundation upon which our community’s future is built.   Our youngest citizens are a beautiful gift and as such should be treasured. Who among us does not want to take good care of our treasures? They deserve quality health care, good nutrition and a safe, loving, and nurturing environment. Our treasures deserve our attention by being read to, talked to, listened to, and played with. By treasuring our infants, toddlers, and young children, we help build the critical brain connections they will need for learning and success later in life.  For research data on the effects of experience on the developing brain, please visit www.developingchild.net/pubs/wp/Timing_Quality_Early_Experiences.pdf

     If communities and families provide this for all infants and children, communities will transform.   Children will arrive at school healthy, safe, and ready to learn. Children will have fewer learning and behavior problems. Teens will be more engaged in school and less likely to engage in high risk behaviors and this will mean fewer teen pregnancies, reduced future welfare roles and unemployment rates will drop.  Crime rates will decrease and jail and prison populations will decrease. As these children grow into adults they will become productive workers helping to stimulate a vibrant economy!   Research shows that providing support for positive early childhood experiences for ALL children makes economic sense. Every dollar invested today will yield as much as a $17 return in economic productivity for the community.

     When building a house, a solid foundation must precede putting up walls and a roof.   Without a firm early childhood foundation, the walls—an excellent K-12 education, a healthy feeling of self worth, safety, and security--cannot stand.   And how will we mount the roof--a solid career that requires support from those sturdy walls?   Then there are the fixtures and furniture and decorations of the house; all those parts of our lives that allow us to become good citizens by participating positively in our communities.   How can we do that unless we have developed that capacity during the experiences that began at birth?    If we pool our assets and work together to build a strong foundation of support for our young children, we build a strong future for us all.  If you would like to be a part of a caring community that is building a sustainable system to support kids and families in St. Joseph County, please join us. The future depends on what we say and do today!

Barb Newman
Interim Great Start Collaborative Coordinator